Dozens of vintage buses have lined the streets of Southampton today.
Organised by the Southampton & District Transport Heritage Trust, 25 buses are on display throughout Guildhall Square and Pound Tree Road, with some of the vehicles coming out of retirement to offer passengers a free ride around the city.
Among the buses travelling to and from the city centre was the 1976 FA Cup winners’ bus which once paraded Saints FC manager Lawrie McMenemy and his winning team around Southampton, as well as an AEC Swift, Guy Arab, and Leyland PD2.
The Daily Echo-branded bus was also in operation throughout the day.
Speaking to the Echo, Dave Woods, chairman of the Southampton & District Transport Heritage Trust said he was “delighted” with the number of people riding on the buses, as well as taking time to take photos.
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He said: “This sort of thing doesn’t happen every day, we try and put this type of event on every other year.
“Passengers can ride the buses for free, but we encourage them to buy a programme, and the cost goes to the onward restoration of the buses.
“To be frank, it costs thousands of pounds to put this type of event on, with the upkeep of the vehicles.
“One of the reasons we wanted to do something this year was because we heard Pound Tree Road may not be accessible in the future, because there are no longer any services which use this road.
“Anyone who’s lived in Southampton will know this is the point where the buses started and stopped.”
The Southampton & District Transport Heritage Trust was formed in 2001, with the trust looking after 20 vehicles that are “important to the history of transport in Southampton.”
Dave added: “We’ve seen a high volume of people throughout the day and one or two former bus drivers, who wanted to see the vehicles they spent years driving.
“I would like to offer my gratitude to the various owners for bringing their vehicles today and running them in service.
“It’s a costly hobby, like many of us the vehicles are elderly and in need of some TLC.”
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